I certainly don't disagree about writing skills. I think our kids (and
their teachers as well) are pretty much limited to producing "tweets".
Chuck Norcutt
On 1/5/2012 2:36 AM, Chris Barker wrote:
> I have no problem with slang, Chuck. And I think that "bum a fag"
> has probably evolved out of existence in the UK.
>
> I do have a problem with cr*p educational systems, though; and the
> education available in the UK and the US, at High School levels, is
> probably at about that level.
>
> I have just been reading some pamphlets from 1945, mostly on the
> subject of radar. They were left by my late father-in-law and he
> hoarded stuff about radar and electronics from the WWII period. I
> was very surprised at what a pleasure they were to read.
>
> "A Report on Science at War", published in the US by the Government
> Printing Office (and reprinted by His Majesty's Stationery Office),
> is a delight to read for its clarity, structure and good grammar.
> Note that I am not describing the vocabulary but the ability to
> express ideas or concepts and to describe events and achievements
> clearly to the reader.
>
> And a British publication, "Radar Bulletin – Victory Souvenir Number
> – 1945" is equally well-written – as well as inspiring because it
> listed the many and timely achievements by the US and UK in their
> successful prosecution of the air war.
>
> A couple of years ago I found a book for sale in the Victoria and
> Albert Museum shop: papers in English Examination at O Level. It
> contained questions that modern youngsters would find very difficult
> to answer because schools in the UK don't teach English Language to
> that detail. And that has had a deleterious effect on our ability to
> write clearly and comprehensibly.
>
> My late father-in-law left a load of stuff, some probably junk; but
> we will take some of it to the Radio Signals Museum which is not far
> from where we live. I just wish we had known about it and discussed
> it with him while he was alive . . .
>
> Chris
>
> On 4 Jan 2012, at 21:53, Chuck Norcutt wrote:
>
>> It probably meant the same in the US... in 1945. But, much to
>> Chris's consternation the language moves on.
>
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